Parade Marshalls For 2008

FAMILIAR NAMES IN THE GUNNISON COUNTRY,
Elmer and Alva May Dunbar
hold long histories in this part of Colorado. Elmer is a third-generation son
of the ranching industry and Alva May is the granddaughter of a rooming
house proprietor who owned an establishment on Main Street. No stranger
to haying and calving, Elmer spent a fair number of earlier days in the
saddle, tending Herefords at the family ranch east of town. The fall
season saw him in the backcountry hunting for elk. He and Alva May
married in 1949 and eventually purchased his parents' ranch. Alva May
pitched in, looking after their children, feeding cows, cooking for hay
crews and sewing for her family. Both participated in community service
groups. Elmer served on the Cattlemen's Days board (1943 - 1990) and was
a member of the Gunnison County Stockgrowers for 40 years. He has been a
member of the Gunnison Elks Lodge for an equal number of years. Mae
worked as an assistant 4-H leader and, later, was elected as County
Treasurer for four consecutive terms. The Dunbars sold their ranch in
1990 and now enjoy the benefits of retirement. However, "the work hasn’t
quit," according to Elmer. The large yard surrounding their home in town
requires constant upkeep, and there are "always things to be done around
the house." Alva May finds pleasure in cooking, and although she seldom
sews anymore, she does "sew on a button" now and then. Of the couple's
four children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren, several
will join the Dunbar's during this year's Cattlemen's Days Parade as they
greet old and new friends alike.

ALWAYS FANS OF THE CATTLEMEN'S DAYS RODEO,
Glenn and Melva George
have hardly let one slip by that they haven't
either been involved in or attended. "It's a family tradition,"
according to Glenn, who served on the rodeo committee for 26 years, four
of them as treasurer, and worked the 4-H livestock auction for forty. As
a young man, he even tried his hand at bareback riding "until he
came to his senses." Both he and Melva were born and raised in the area.
The first baby born in the Gunnison Valley Hospital, Melva hails from
three generations of Gunnisonites, her great grandfather the first
medical doctor in nearby Lake City. While Glenn worked at the former
First National Bank, she busied herself with homemaking and raising a
family. In those years, she also co-owned and operated a downtown
business and worked for other local companies. The Georges have two
children, and now, three grandchildren. These days, they're never far
from the saddle - bicycle that is. During the past several years, the
couple have ridden over 1,500 miles around the United States on their
mountain bikes, from Missouri to Oregon to Washington. And being
"outdoors type of people," they like to hike. When they're indoors,
Melva enjoys cooking (she once won 4-H State Cooking Champion, a title
that earned her a trip to Chicago), although she
gives Glenn credit for being a fine cook as well. They look forward to
this year's Cattlemen's Days and serving as Parade Marshall's. Their
family will join them, of course, following their long-standing tradition.

Parade Marshals For 2010

Parade Marshals
For 2010